Ministers `could reduce Universal Credit waiting time´ following outcry

Ministers are ready to reduce the waiting time for Universal Credit (UC) payments from six weeks following an outcry from Tory MPs, it has been suggested.

One of those who threatened to rebel over the roll-out of the flagship benefit reform, Stephen McPartland, said he believed the critics were “very, very close to getting a resolution” on the issue.

Some have warned that as the roll-out of UC gathers pace, the six-week wait is contributing to rising debt, rent arrears and evictions.

Theresa May avoided a Tory revolt on the issue in a House of Commons vote on Wednesday after making a concession by committing to scrap charges of up to 55p a minute to call a UC helpline, and controversially ordering her party to abstain on a non-binding Labour motion calling for the introduction of the reform to be paused.

Mr McPartland was not one of the rebels reportedly called into Downing Street by the Prime Minister in advance of the vote.

But he said Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke was finding it increasingly hard to justify the six-week wait.

The Stevenage MP told BBC Radio 4’s Week In Westminster: “One issue is reducing the time people wait for their first payment – it’s currently set at six weeks and I would like to see it reduced to four weeks.

“I think people accept you have to be paid in arrears, a lot of these people on Universal Credit will be in work so they will get paid in arrears themselves, so we would like to see it set down to four weeks which is what you would have when you went into work and got a salary.

“On that particular issue I think we are very, very close to getting a resolution.

“I think the Secretary of State has found it very difficult to justify inside the parliamentary party why they need to defend a six-week wait, so I’m quite pleased about that.”

A Government spokesman said: “The Government remains determined to ensure that people joining Universal Credit don’t face hardship which is why we recently announced significant improvements to the system of advance payments that people can get get as soon as they get into the system.

“As repeated this week, we will continue to monitor and take any actions if necessary. But no decisions or announcements on any further actions are imminent.”